Simon Hall writes...
I learnt something important last weekend.
It became publicly and painfully clear that I’m very much NOT a poet.
But the experience also reminded me of a critical lesson in the world of communication, so I didn’t mind my humiliation too much.
Perhaps I should explain:
I was away teaching at the I Am Writing festival in Bristol.
I had an amazing time, leading sessions in crime writing, and how to pitch your book…
As well as meeting some brilliant writers who are producing some excellent work.
It was also a whole lot of fun, as pretty much any event involving the writing community always is.
On the finale night, we played some writing themed games.
One was to pen an impromptu poem, or limerick, featuring a certain word and phrase.
My choice was the word globular…
And the phrase, Have they finished whacking it?
Quite a challenge, I think you'll agree. However!
I did my best, and this was the result:
In case you’re struggling to read my writing, this classic of rhyme goes as follows:
Globular
Is an exemplar
Of a tricky word to rhyme,
But have they finished whacking it?
Is easier – well, a bit.
And the answer will surely come in time.
Now, before you fall over laughing, or think me a fraud for setting myself up as someone who knows about the art of communication…
Please remember I only had a very limited amount of time to write this masterpiece.
I was also tired after lots of fun teaching, and was enjoying a couple of glasses of wine.
All excuses duly, humbly, and grovellingly offered…
We come to the point of this blog.
Okay, my alleged poem was bad.
Very bad in fact. I admit it. But!
Look at the picture. See the amount of editing that went into it?
Without that it would’ve been even worse, difficult though it might be to believe.
The moral of the story being how important it is to edit your work, even if you think it's finished, done and dusted.
Each book I’ve written, whether full-length novel or shorter, personal development work, receives plenty of edits.
At least five, and more usually seven by the time it’s published.
Similarly so with the news stories I used to write for the BBC.
Editing is absolutely essential for an effective piece of writing.
Always remember, as the great author Ernest Hemingway put it, and wisely:
- The only kind of writing is rewriting.
